San Clemente man detained in 19-year-old girlfriend's beating death

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From left, Debbie, Donna, Erik and Silvia Krecu light candles and place flowers outside a San Clemente condo where their friend was found badly beaten; she later died. John Wylie Needham, 25, the victim's boyfriend and an Army veteran, has been arrested in connection with the slaying.

Orange County deputies found the woman unconscious in the condo the couple shared. Relatives of the alleged assailant say he is an Iraq war veteran who has mental problems.

By Paloma Esquivel and Christine Hanley, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

A 25-year-old Army veteran, who family members say was suffering from mental problems since returning from Iraq, was being held today on suspicion of murder in the beating death of his 19-year-old live-in girlfriend, authorities said.

John Wylie Needham was arrested after sheriff's deputies found his girlfriend unconscious and badly beaten with "obvious trauma to the face" inside the condo the couple apparently shared, said Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino.

The woman was taken to a hospital in San Clemente and pronounced dead at 12:15 a.m., he said. Her name was withheld, pending notification of relatives.

The incident started just before 11 p.m. Monday when deputies went to the condo on Paseo Luna after receiving a call from a woman other than the girlfriend who said she was arguing with someone inside the home, Amormino said.

The woman met arriving deputies outside and asked them to enter the condo to help keep the peace, Amormino said.

When deputies knocked on the door, they were greeted by Needham, who was naked and combative, Amormino said. Deputies used a Taser gun to restrain him, he said.

Inside the condo, deputies found the unconscious 19-year-old woman. Neighbors told reporters that the couple had lived together at the condo for a couple of months.

Needham served in Iraq last year and was awarded a Purple Heart in 2007 for a combat injury, said Army spokesman Master Sgt. Keith O'Donnell. He retired for medical reasons after two years in the Army, he said.

Matt Needham, who identified himself as the brother of the man in custody, told KTLA-TV Channel 5 that his brother had not been the same since he returned home from serving in Iraq.

"He's been really mentally unstable for the past few months," Needham said. "He's been no good since he got back, I'll be honest. I mean, he's my brother, we grew up in the same crib together, I love him like no one else and it's sad to know the person who means the most to me, to completely write them off because they're crazy."

Needham also said he didn't expect anything like this to happen.

"I knew that if they didn't break up the proper way that, you know, it could be a bad breakup, but no one figures a bad breakup is like this. Everyone figured you yell at each other and fight and whatever. I never saw this coming, but I'll tell you what, with my brother . . . the mental state he's in since Iraq, nothing would surprise me."

Needham is being held at the Harbor Justice Center in Laguna Hills in lieu of $1-million bail.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-be...0,6026971.story

[Mononoke28 135]

"I knew that if they didn't break up the proper way that, you know, it could be a bad breakup, but no one figures a bad breakup is like this.

He calls that a break up?! The whole family is messed up then.

Diana

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Oh how sad. Poor girl. Sadly this isn't the first case nor will it be the last.